Durzain moves closer to my father and whispers in his ear.
I narrow my eyes. Durzain has always been favored by my father because he is all that is left of my aunt—father’s sister—after she died of the plague. But Durzain, unfortunately, is not an honorable male. I’ve told Father this, but he refuses to believe it.
And now, I wonder what Durzain is whispering in Father’s ear.
Father’s eyes turn to me. “Your cousin agrees with me. We should find the females and pair them with our strongest males. Who knows? If you have found your fated among them, there may be many others as you’ve suggested.”
Durzain looks to me. “We will, of course, have to kill their males since they are so aggressive they are a danger even to their own kind, as you have witnessed for yourself.”
With an imperceptible clench of my jaw, I address him firmly. “We cannot hold the rest accountable for the actions of one.”
“No.” Father slashes his arm in front of his chest. “They are dangerous. One of their males tried to kill you. I will not allow them to live if they are so dangerous. I won’t risk your life, my son.”
Frustration burns through me. “You think their females will be eager to bond with us if we start killing their people? If we force them to choose a mate before they are ready to even decide such a thing?”
Father and Durzain look at me but say nothing. They know I am right.
I continue. “We would never force a Drakarian female to make a choice. In our culture, the females choose when they are ready. They are not presented with several males and told they have to choose one right then. That is never how it is done, so why would we think it all right to do such a thing to the humans?”
Durzain scoffs. “I have seen your female. Unfortunately, their kind are weak. They should be grateful that our warriors are even willing to bond with them and offer them protection. Why would they refuse something that is so obviously in their favor?”
I level an icy glare at him. “I will not stand by and allow this to happen. It is dishonorable and you know it.” I turn to my father. “That you would even consider this shows me that you are no longer fit to rule our Clan.”
A deep rumble rises in my father’s chest. “I am King! You do not tell me what I can and cannot do. Now, go and retrieve your female. Bring her before me and we will organize a wing to locate the rest of the humans and bring them back here.”
Durzain whispers in his ear again and Father looks to me. “Are you loyal to me or not?” he asks. “You are my son, and if you are to become heir, I must be able to trust you.”
His words are a blade in my heart. Never has my father questioned my loyalty. Before this moment, I always knew without a doubt that he loved me above all else. Now, I realize that his madness has damaged not only his mind but his hearts as well. Durzain has taken advantage of this and poisoned him against me.
“I will bring my mate to you in the morning,” I bow. “But first, I must make certain she is well rested and fed. Now, give me the code to the cells.”
With a heavy sigh, Father gives me the sequence to free my mate.
Without another word, I turn and leave. I can hardly wait to free Skye from her cell. Anger fills me that she was even there in the first place, but I do not mention it now. No, I must make it seem as though I am going along with Father and Durzain’s plans.
I will try to speak with Father alone later on, when Durzain is not around. If we are to bring the females here, it must be with the understanding that they have the same rights as our people. The females choose in their own time who they wish to take as mates. We should not present them with “eligible” males and then tell them that they must choose right then and there. That is simply not done and it should never be this way.
Chapter 8
Skye
Desperate for warmth, I tuck my nose under the blanket. With my back to the wall and my legs pulled up to my chest, I’m wrapped in a cocoon of fabric, but I still feel ice cold in here. And the temperature is dropping now that the sun has set.
Who knew I’d be missing the desert after complaining all week about the blistering heat?
I wonder morosely what happened to Raidyn. To think I started to fall for his romantic words and near-poetic declarations. For a moment, I felt like I was living through a fantasy romance in real life. Except in this one, the prince and the dragon are one and the same.
Raidyn insisted that women were worshipped and treasured in his Clan, but as my gaze sweeps over what passes for my accommodations here, I’m pretty sure he was loopy from blood loss when he said so.
I’m reminded of the time Travis took me on a date and got drunk at dinner. He started spouting romantic lines about undying love. Luckily, I didn’t sleep with him, because the next day, he didn’t remember any of it. It had just been the alcohol talking.
My heart is heavy as my thoughts turn to my best friend. How could I have let Lilly go off on her own? I’d been so lost in grief over my brother that I wasn’t thinking straight. I’ve been numb to the world since we crashed.
Part of me wished I had died with my brother, though I realize now, that was a product of the grief trying to take hold of
